Article

Who's Who: John Petkus

Whether climbing mountains or developing new technology for bill acceptors, Hemisphere West's president John Petkus demands two things: challenge and risk.

February 17, 2003

During the week, John Petkus won't be found far from a new technology idea or business opportunity. Come most Sundays, though, he'll be hiking his way to the top of some of Nevada's highest mountains.

It's challenging, he said. It's risky. And whether in the office or out, it's the way Petkus likes to live life.

"Life is about being smart," said Petkus, president of Hemisphere West Las Vegas, a manufacturer of currency validation products for the Internet kiosk and gaming industries. "You can play hard and take risks in business and in your free time, but you've got to play it smart."

Petkus escapes the world of bill acceptors, computers and cell phones by climbing some of Nevada's highest peaks.

Apparently Petkus heeds his own advice. Since launching Hemisphere West in 1996, Petkus has found his niche serving smaller players in the kiosk and gaming industries. With the company based in Las Vegas, gaming was a natural choice. But luring kiosk clients was a bit riskier.

"While John was gearing up to enter the kiosk industry, the rest of us were sitting back looking the other way," said Jeff Marsh, Hemisphere West's sales manager and a friend of Petkus. "We were just riding his coattails. He's a smart guy and innovative. We'd never be where we are today without that."

Hemisphere West has nearly 40 kiosk clients, including Net Stop, Site Kiosk and Advanced Internet Access. And though Petkus said there are plenty of companies out there doing what he does on a larger scale, size hasn't limited his impact on the industry.

The company's HW300, Dual Input MDB/USB Interface, for example, caught the industry's attention when it rolled out in 2001 as a sort of plug-and-play option for coin validators and bill acceptors. Since then, other currency validation product suppliers are scrambling to keep up, said Craig Keefner, who has known Petkus for years through Kiosks.org Association.

"The USB interface is their big claim to fame right now," said Keefner, the association's executive director. "People are busy trying to copy that. You gotta' hand it to John; he's a smaller outfit, but he plays big."

Location, location, location

Petkus grew up near Detroit, and still remembers the small Kentucky and Tennessee towns he traveled through on I-75 each year during the family's annual escape to Florida. He was a bit of a geography buff even then, he said, and paid attention to his surroundings.

Name: John Petkus                        Title: President Company: Hemisphere West Las Vegas Education: B.A. in technical communications from Michigan Technological University      Birthplace: Detroit area Residence: Las Vegas Family: Wife, Mickey, a Las Vegas casino executive; 16-year-old daughter, Sarah Birthdate: Dec. 17, 1955 Hobbies: Spends a lot of time with his daughter, Sarah, exploring areas around Las Vegas; climbing mountains; running; cycling; and golf Quote: "It's everything to do with finishing."

By time for college, though, he had traded geography for technology, graduating from Michigan Technological University with a B.A. in technical communications. His minor was electronic engineering.

His first few years in the working world were spent as a manufacturer's representative, selling semiconductors to Detroit's auto industry, and as an electronics buyer for Ford.

Petkus needed a change. Not just from the work, but the city.

"It's a nice area, but it seemed like summers were getting shorter and shorter every year," Petkus said. "I needed sun, some warmth, something different. I just wasn't that happy anymore."

Petkus headed west in 1993 to take a sales position with JCM American Corp., the largest supplier of bill acceptors to the slot-game industry. When JCM's then-U.S. president left to start his own company based on a new bill acceptor, most employees followed, including Petkus. The company never took off, Petkus said, which prompted him to start his own operation.

Technically, Hemisphere West is all about bill acceptors, he said. In reality, it's all about customer service.

"What really keeps people loyal is when you help them out," Petkus said. "The toughest part of sales is keeping customers rather than getting them."

Half of the company's business is international, giving Petkus plenty of opportunity for travel to two of his favorite places, Asia and Australia. More often than not, though, clients want to come to him.

"This location is actually our biggest marketing tool," Petkus said. "There is some sort of international intrigue about Las Vegas that transcends race and culture. It's the best marketing tool we have."

Finishing touches

From his office window, Petkus can see four or five mountain peaks from the Las Vegas valley. He's climbed them all -- not an easy task for a 6'6" 46-year-old.

"Sometimes you have to force yourself to do things that are tough," he said. "It's the same whether climbing or running the business. It's everything to do with finishing."

And Petkus finishes what he starts, including the 12,000-foot Mt. Charleston. "Why bother starting if you're not going to finish," he asked.

"I often think, if I can do Mt. Charleston, I can do this, whatever it is," he said. "It's my personal philosophy, how I motivate myself."

Keefner described Petkus as an appetizer man.

"When you go to a restaurant with him, all he wants are appetizers -- no steak and potato man here," Keefner said. "You know, he likes trying a little bit of everything. I guess that's what he does in business, too. That's how he's successful."